Conversations About A Werewolf
by Lenina Crowne
Summary: RLNT. A series of vignettes highlighting Tonks' attempts at gathering information on Remus. Set during OOTP.
1. Mad Eye Moody

**Conversations About A Werewolf**  
_1. Mad-Eye Moody_

**A/N: **_Just a bit of silliness, to quote my good friend Yen, because Merlin knows that's what we need after DH. The funniest thing about this series may very well be my _attempt_ at humor, but oh well. I'm posting the first two chapters at once because they're so short, but after that, I'll only put up one chapter at a time. Many thanks for Yen (JenniGellerBing here on ffnet) for the beta!  
_

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Tonks had been staring at the same piece of parchment in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place for what felt like hours. Yet, the harder she tried to focus, the more the words seemed to blur together. Finally, she sighed and leaned back against her chair, its front legs lifting precariously off the stone floor. Moody, who was hunched over the long wooden table beside her, fixed his magical eye on her while the other continued to scan his own piece of parchment. Suddenly a squeal of terror shattered the silence when Tonks' chair tipped dangerously back, and she almost lost her balance. Moody huffed as she returned all four legs squarely to the floor, and then both his eyes returned to his parchment again. 

Once the adrenaline from her near-fall left her, her weariness returned, and Tonks yawned hugely. Between putting in a double shift at the Ministry that week and night guard duty for the Order, she was completely knackered. Her eyes seemed to get heavier and heavier with each passing moment. Finally, she let out another sigh, and turned to face Moody. He fixed his magical eye on her again.

"This is terribly dull work, don't you think?"

"It's not supposed be fun," he growled.

"I know, but I'm not getting anywhere! Can't we take a break?"

"A break? Do you think the Death Eaters are taking a break? No," he said quickly, before she could respond with something cheeky, "and neither will I. If you want to compromise yourself and the Order, then go on, take a break. Otherwise, shut your mouth and get back to work."

Tonks raised her eyebrows. "Bit dramatic there, Mad-Eye, don't you think?"

Moody huffed in response before focusing both eyes on his work again.

She wasn't about to give up that easily, though. She was an _Auror_, for Merlin's sake! And besides, annoying Mad-Eye had become a favorite hobby of hers. Tonks blew a strand of blue hair out of her eyes, and pretended to focus on her work again. She needed something to talk about. It didn't take her long to decide, however; she would just bring up a topic that had been on her mind a lot lately.

"Can I ask a question?"

"No."

"What's the story with Remus Lupin?"

Moody fixed both eyes on Tonks now. "What do you mean by that, girl?"

"Well, I dunno... he's a bit strange, isn't he?"

"He's one of the most valuable members of the Order of the Phoenix, been with us from the start. It'd be good to remember that. Don't matter what he is or where he comes from, he's _loyal_ and that's all you need to know."

"What? Oh, I know!" amended Tonks quickly. "I just meant, well, he's a bit reserved, isn't he?"

"Most folk are reserved compared to you, girl," Moody growled.

She chose to ignore his comment. "I mean, he just kind of sits there politely and _listens_ to everything anybody says. Rarely answers personal questions. Though I guess there isn't much to add after Sirius opens his mouth, is there? Has Remus always been like that?"

"What's it to you?"

"Just curious."

Moody's good eye narrowed skeptically. "The lad's suffered a lot, hasn't he? Lost two of his best friends in the first war, to boot."

"I know," she said quietly, "he just seems so interesting, I wish he'd talk more."

"Lupin's a good solider: keeps his mouth shut and his head down. A lesson you could stand to learn," he added in a low voice.

She ignored him again. "Do you know how old he was when he got the bite?"

"I don't know," he snapped. "Greyback got 'im when –"

"_Fenrir Greyback_?" Tonks asked, dark eyes flashing with a mixture of disgust and anger. "That horrible monster who _tries_ to bite children?"

"The very same," growled Moody, a measure of disgust detectable in his own voice now.

"So he was young when he got the bite?"

"Just a boy, yeah. Paid for his father's mistakes," said Mad-Eye, shaking his head.

"Merlin, I can't believe that... poor Remus."

"Don't go pitying him now. He doesn't need that."

"I know," she said sadly. "I just wish I could help."

"You can help by getting this work done and shutting up. Here," he said forcefully, switching his parchment with hers, "you work on the map of the Ministry, and I'll finish this up since you can't seem to be bothered."

Tonks knew from the extra dose of gruffness in his tone that their conversation was over. Yet, she couldn't help but laugh under her breath as Moody grumbled about young people today and their carelessness. She knew the old Auror was amused, even if he had a strange way of showing it.

Mad-Eye had given her some valuable information on Lupin, she mused, though this new knowledge only added to her thirst for more. And it shouldn't be too hard to find. After all, she was a trained Auror - forcing information out of people was part of the job description.

But for now, she was content to glance over the map as her mind drifted back to the mystery of Remus Lupin.

_TBC...  
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**A/N: **_If you liked what you read, leave a review and go to the next chapter!  
_


	2. Kingsley Shacklebolt

**Conversations About A Werewolf**  
_2. Kingsley Shacklebolt_

"Do you think anyone's going to show?" Tonks whispered.

"I don't know," Kingsley replied slowly. "I would have expected at least Lucius Malfoy by now."

Tonks made a noncommittal hum before wrapping her cloak tightly around her. She backed up slowly and winced as her body made contact with the shrubbery in which they were hiding. Kingsley shot her a warning look, and she smiled sheepishly in return.

They had been watching for signs of movement around the Malfoy Manor premises for two hours now, but they hadn't seen anything suspicious. In fact, the most suspicious thing of all was the blatant _lack_ of anything. Perhaps Dumbledore's tip had been wrong; perhaps nothing was going on tonight.

Then again, Dumbledore was rarely wrong.

Tonks shivered again, and then cast a silent warming charm. After the chill left her, she sat down on the ground, staring at the house through a break in the bushes. Kingsley looked down at her briefly, but said nothing. He looked too tense at the moment, considering the fact that they were in no immediate danger, so Tonks mulled over potential conversation topics to break the tension.

"Hey, Kingsley?" she whispered. "What's your middle name?"

"I don't have one," he responded in a low voice.

"Oh, me neither. What do you think Mad-Eye's is? Maybe Alastor Terence. Don't you think he looks like a Terence?"

"I think he looks like a Mad-Eye," replied Kingsley seriously.

She laughed quietly. "Touché." She paused and, before giving herself time to analyze it, before even realizing that the words had left her mouth, she asked, "What about Remus... what do you think his middle name is?"

He raised an eyebrow. "It's John," Kingsley said simply.

"Really? When I asked him, he just laughed and wouldn't tell me," she grumbled. "Said I could figure it out on my own. How'd you know?"

"Told me in passing, I suppose."

"Wonder why he wouldn't tell _me_," she huffed, knowing fully well she sounded like a petulant child. But really, after all those nights she spent sitting up with Remus and Sirius in Grimmauld place, did Remus still question her loyalties? Or did he simply enjoy seeing her squirm? Either way, she was starting to think he was a bit of a git. Although that thought did nothing to quell her curiosity...

"Remus can't really be as nice as he seems, can he?"

"I've known Remus a long time, since our Hogwarts days. He's a good man," Kingsley said earnestly.

She sighed. Getting information from Kingsley was like swiping a dragon's egg from right under its mother's nose. Tonks might be good at interrogation, but he too was an Auror – and a much better one, at that. She still had a lot to learn.

"Were you two friendly?"

"We were in different years and different houses. He spent most of his time with his three friends..."

"James, Sirius, and Peter," she exclaimed, proud that she knew more than Kingsley expected.

"Keep your voice down," he reminded her. "And yes. They got themselves into a lot of trouble, those four."

"I heard about Sirius and James, but I can't imagine Remus getting up to much trouble."

"I agree. I suppose Remus usually just got caught in the middle."

"Really?" she asked eagerly. "Do you have any stories?"

Kingsley eyed her curiously for a moment before responding. "Well, before Christmas in my seventh year, Sirius and James charmed some mistletoe to slowly strangle those beneath it..."

"And Remus got caught under it?"

Kingsley nodded, a small smile on his face. "With Abigail Smith."

Tonks sniggered into her hand. "What happened?"

"He refused to kiss her for a while, until Abigail started turning blue. The whole school was there to witness it," he chuckled fondly. "Lupin was not happy."

"I wouldn't imagine so," she responded idly, a slight smile forming on her lips at the image of a horrified teenage Remus leaning in for a kiss in front of hundreds of spectators.

"Have any other stories?"

"Not about Remus, no. He didn't get up to much, that I know of. I have dozens about Sirius th -"

He stopped speaking abruptly. After a moment, she heard it too: the slamming of a door giving way to hushed voices. From her vantage point on the ground, she spotted the hems of a number of different wizards as they descended the stairs quickly. She scrambled to her feet to get a better look.

It was Lucius Malfoy all right, along with a dozen other wizards whom she recognized to be Death Eaters as well.

"What now?" she mouthed to Kingsley.

"We report back to Dumbledore," he muttered in her ear, just barely audible above the shuffling of feet in the distance. "He is right, of course. They _are_ planning something big."

"Yeah..." Tonks agreed, her heart pounding in her chest, all thoughts of Remus temporarily thrust to the back of her mind.

Suddenly, the impending war was becoming very, _very_ real to her.

_TBC...  
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**A/N: **_Well, what's the verdict? Shall I be stoned for even thinking this is a good idea? Please leave a review, thanks!  
_


	3. Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger

**Conversations About A Werewolf**  
_3. Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger_

**A/N: **_Hey everyone! Thanks so much for the encouraging reviews! I'm glad people are enjoying this story, since I'm having a blast writing it! It's nice to have something light and simple to help me get through the longer, angsty pieces I'm working on as well. Anyway, don't expect always getting updates this close to one another, but I figured I might as well go ahead and post since I'm suffering a bout of insomnia. Enjoy!  
_

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"Hey, Tonks! _Tonks_!"

Tonks paused in her descent of Grimmauld Place, backing up slowly and attempting to locate the room from which her name had been called. She glanced into the first bedroom on her right, and saw that Ginny and Hermione were sitting on their beds, the latter pouring over _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five_.

"Wotcher, girls! Did one of you call me?"

"Yeah, I did, at least five times," said Ginny. "What's on your mind?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied hastily. "Just a bit knackered, that's all."

Ginny gave her a disbelieving look, but did not pursue the topic, and Tonks was grateful for that. As sweet as the girls were, she was keen to get back to her thoughts. Which, before she'd been interrupted, were completely focused on her last meeting with Remus.

As usual, Remus had given Tonks agonizingly little information about himself. But she had tripped, and he'd caught her around the waist. And although she was most certainly _not_ interested in Remus _that_ way, she couldn't quite fight the butterflies fluttering in her stomach at the memory of his touch.

_Butterflies fluttering?_ she thought with a wry smile. _More like hippogriffs stomping..._

"Tonks!" called Ginny.

"What?" she asked quickly, snapping out of her reverie.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Hermione slowly.

"I'm fine," she promised. "What can I do for you two?"

"I was just wondering if you could show Hermione that thing you did yesterday with your hair."

"Oh, you mean this?" she asked, scrunching up her face in concentration. Suddenly, her pink spikes lengthened, leaving her with shoulder-length blond locks and thick sideburns.

"Doesn't she look _just_ like Herman Wintringham from the Weird Sisters?" exclaimed Ginny.

Hermione frowned. "I suppose. Though that's not exactly a compliment..."

Tonks threw her head back and laughed. She was used to morphing into strange characters, often soliciting much worse responses than Hermione's.

"Right then, I'd best be off," she began, turning to head out the door. Then she paused, contemplating the girls for a moment. "You two had Remus as a professor, right?"

"Yep," replied Ginny nonchalantly.

"Was he any good?"

"Oh, the best!" cried Hermione. "Are you thinking of taking lessons with him? You really should, we've never had a DADA professor like him!"

"Yeah?"

"Oh, yeah, he taught us loads! There was the lesson with the Boggart – you must have heard about that, right?" Tonks nodded, smiling at the thought of Snape dressed in old women's clothing. "What else? Red Caps, Hinkypunks, and, oh, Grindylows, of course..."

"Hermione, she's obviously not asking about his experience with _Grindylows_," said Ginny, exasperated.

"What are you talking about? She's –" Ginny gave Hermione a pointed look, and then comprehension washed over the girl's features. "_Oooh_!"

"What?" demanded Tonks.

Neither one of the girls responded. Instead, Ginny mused, "He's not bad looking..."

"No, he's quite handsome," agreed Hermione.

"Better looking than the other professors."

"Except maybe Professor Lockhart."

"Oh yeah, of course," agreed Ginny easily. "Then again, _anyone's_ better-looking than Mad-Eye!"

The two girls laughed, and Tonks joined in, albeit a bit cautiously. They were treading on thin ice here, and she was keen to steer the conversation as far away from the teenage girls' opinions of Remus' looks as possible. Because it made her uncomfortable, of course. Not jealous. Just uncomfortable, that was it.

"Where are Harry and Ron?" she asked in what she hoped was a casual voice.

"Oh, I dunno," said Ginny, waving a hand dismissively. "So you fancy Lupin then, Tonks?"

"Ginny!" gasped Hermione as Tonks flushed.

"What?"

"You can't ask Tonks that!"

"Why not? It's not like _she_ was our professor."

"I know, it's just she's... she's..."

"An adult," finished Tonks sternly. "That's not appropriate to ask, Ginny."

"Fine," Ginny replied with a knowing smirk.

Tonks was about to open her mouth to respond firmly again, when a familiar, raspy voice behind her made her jump. She turned slowly, ignoring the huge grins on Hermione and Ginny's faces as she did so.

"Remus," she breathed.

"Hello, Tonks. Ginny, Hermione." He nodded at the girls. "I thought I heard my name?"

"Yeah, we were just –"

"Discussing your days as DADA professor," Tonks said quickly, before Ginny could finish speaking.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tonks noticed the girls exchange smirks and cringed inwardly. However, Remus' gaze seemed to be fixed on only her at the moment, and Tonks was optimistic that he hadn't taken note of the girls' behavior.

"I hope you don't think too low of me," he said quietly.

"Low of you?" Tonks repeated, baffled. "Hermione and Ginny were just sharing all the great stuff you taught them! That Boggart story gets me every time," she said with a chuckle.

"Yeah," agreed Ginny, "we were saying how you were one of the best professors we've had so far!"

Remus couldn't quite hide the touched look on his face. "Well, thank you, girls." After an awkward moment of silence, he cleared his throat. "Erm, anyway, Tonks, I didn't get the chance to compliment your interesting look earlier. It's very... err, unique."

"What?" said Tonks blankly, reaching her hand up and expecting to feel the usual pink spikes. However, she let out a gasp when her hand made contact with her sideburns. Tonks ignored the girls as they fruitlessly held back sniggers. A prickling heat rose to her cheeks as she scrunched her face up and returned her hair to normal.

Remus nodded, relief evident in his voice. "I hope you aren't too insulted, but I must admit, I'm much more partial to the pink and... not the sideburns."

"Me too," she mumbled.

"Well, I think I should head downstairs now. Kingsley's waiting for me. It was nice talking with you three."

"I'll come with you, I was just about to leave when you came in," said Tonks.

After they exchanged their goodbyes, Tonks followed Remus into the dark hallway, Hermione and Ginny's laughs following them down the stairs.

"You know, she could do a lot worse than him," came Hermione's unintentionally loud reply.

Tonks cringed, and gave Remus a sideways glance. The hippogriffs were stomping again, but all over her intestines this time instead. However, though he chuckled slightly, he said nothing on the subject. Tonks was suddenly very grateful for his silence. She didn't know what she would say if Remus inquired about the meaning behind Hermione's statement.

Maybe she did fancy Remus Lupin after all. But just a little.

_TBC...  
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**A/N: **_Next up, Molly Weasley! Please review and let me know what you think! _


	4. Molly Weasley

**Conversations About A Werewolf**  
_4. Molly Weasley_

Tonks entered the kitchen of Grimmauld Place to find Arthur sitting at the very end of the table, reading the Evening Prophet, while his wife stood at the sink washing dishes.

"Wotcher, Arthur, Molly."

Molly waved vaguely before setting her attention back to her work, while Arthur said, "Hello, Tonks," as he peered over the newspaper at her.

"Anything interesting in there?"

"Not so far, no."

"Not surprising. I mean, it _is_ the Prophet," she said with a snort.

"Yes, that's true," he agreed easily.

"Sometimes they've got some worthwhile articles," Molly added, looking over briefly. "Not the news, of course, but reviews and such."

"Yes, that's true," her husband agreed distractedly, turning his attention back toward the newspaper.

Tonks decided to leave Arthur to his reading, and headed over toward where Molly was pointing her wand at a dozen teacups.

"Can I help?"

"Err, no, Tonks, that's all right, dear."

"No really, I _want_ to help."

Molly looked slightly pained as she nodded, gesturing toward the pots and pans on the other side of the counter. Tonks pointed her wand and began to dry them. As they worked, Molly looked over at Tonks a few times, and after deciding that she seemed to have the situation under control – or at least, hadn't injured herself or any of the dishes yet – smiled at the younger woman in earnest now.

"So how are things with you, Tonks?'

"Oh, pretty good. Busy – you know, the usual."

"Yes, I suppose you must be very busy with that job of yours on top of all the wonderful work you've been doing for the Order."

Tonks smiled slightly and nodded, but did not say anything in response.

"It's a shame though, a pretty young witch like yourself... I imagine it must be difficult to keep a social life."

"A bit, yeah," said Tonks with a shrug. "I'm not much for parties and whatnot anyway though. I tend to make a right fool of myself, and the less people to witness it the better."

"I can't imagine that. You're always so charming with the Order."

Tonks snorted. "Hardly! You lot are just more tolerant, I suppose."

"Well, we are a bit like a family here, aren't we?"

"That's a good way to put it, yeah. One big paranoid, slightly mental family."

Molly chuckled. "I suppose so!"

Tonks continued laughing slightly, as the conversation died out. Then, remembering something that had been on her mind earlier, cleared her throat. "You, Arthur, and the kids stayed here last night, right?"

"Yes, we did."

"I know it was the full moon, did Remus stay, too? I'm just curious," she added when Molly fixed her with an amused look. "He never mentioned what he does during full moons, that's all."

"No, he didn't stay here, though I told him he could. I trust that he would be careful, especially considering what happened at Hogwarts." She shook her head. "But, of course, he won't trust himself."

"Do you know where he went to transform?"

"No, he didn't say."

Tonks frowned, momentarily forgetting the jet of hot air coming out of her wand that she was using to dry the pots. Remus could probably give Mad-Eye a run for his money in the paranoia department, she decided. Really, it was rather unnecessary for him to go elsewhere for the full moon – between the wards she was sure he would put up and the fact that he would probably never forget to take his Wolfsbane potion again – but he did nevertheless. Molly was right, of course. It all came down to him not trusting himself.

"Tonks?" questioned Molly gently.

"Hmm?"

"I believe those pots are quite dry."

"Huh? Oh!" she exclaimed, jerking her hand away in surprise. As she did so, she sent five pots and a large cauldron hurdling to the ground. "_Bugger_!"

"No matter," said Molly dismissively, waving her wand and replacing the pots and cauldron as if nothing happened. "You and Remus are close, aren't you?"

"What?" she asked, thrown off by the resurfacing of the former conversation topic. "I guess so, yeah. I mean, I think we are, though I'm not sure how he feels..."

"Oh, I'm sure he feels the same way," said Molly with a grin.

Tonks frowned at her smile. "How do ya know?"

"I can just _tell_ these things, Tonks. He's always looking for you, sitting next to you, inquiring about you... much like you're doing now about him."

"Oh," said Tonks, fighting to keep a smile of her own at bay. "That's nice."

Molly raised her eyebrows. "Remus is a very good man. Isn't he, Arthur?" said Molly, her voice rising so that her husband could hear her.

"Mmhmm," replied Arthur vaguely.

"See?"

"I know he's a nice bloke, Molly!"

Molly grinned again. "Of course you do."

She paused, trying to think of any topic of interest other than Remus. However, nothing came to mind. "How long've you known Remus, anyway?"

"Oh, not any longer than you, I imagine. I only just met him in May, but I knew him by name much longer. He was once somewhat of a celebrity with my family. My two brothers – Fabian and Gideon – were in the first Order. They were very fond of Remus, very found of him."

"I didn't know you have brothers. Where are..."

Tonks trailed off, cursing her own stupidity. Judging by the look on older witch's face and her use of the past tense when speaking about them, she knew the fate of Molly's brothers before she even said anything.

"They were killed," she said, a hitch in her voice. "They put up quite a fight though. Took five Death Eaters to... finish them off."

"Oh Molly, I'm so sorry."

Molly waved Tonks off, as if to say it was no problem, but she let out a small sob that indicated otherwise. Tonks moved to pat the older witch on the shoulder, and Molly wiped her face on her apron. Just then, Fred and George entered the kitchen and, upon spotting their mother, turned to their father curiously.

"Your uncles," said Arthur simply, as he rose to go over to his wife.

"Dad, we've got this one," said Fred confidently as the twins strode over toward their mother.

"Hey, it's okay, Mum," said George.

"Yeah, Mum, they were great blokes, died a real hero's death, didn't they?"

"I just miss them so much!"

"I know, Molly," said Tonks soothingly.

"I'm so sorry, you three must think I'm so silly, it's just with everything going on..."

"Don't say that, Molly," said Tonks sternly.

"Yeah, Mum, we understand," agreed Fred.

"Oh, boys! You two remind me of them so much! Always getting into trouble! It worries me so much sometimes!" wailed Molly, surprising everyone in the room by pulling the twins into a tight embrace.

"Well, we won't deny that," came Fred's muffled voice from somewhere against her shoulder.

"Yeah," agreed George against her other shoulder, "they were also quite dashing."

"And brilliant," added Fred. "Besides, don't worry, we're always careful."

She let out a great laugh at that, and released both boys. "Careful, psh." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffed grandly before turning back to the sink. "Anyway, as I was saying before, Remus is a wonderful man."

Fred and George looked from their mother to Tonks and then back again. "Someone fancy Lupin?" asked Fred with a cheeky smile.

"Mind your business," snapped Molly sternly.

"No one fancies Remus," said Tonks wearily. She didn't want even more of the children thinking that she had feelings for Remus, especially not those mischievous twins. Who knew what sort of damage they would do, when left to their own devices.

"All right," said Fred, but both be and his twin looked skeptical. "If you change your mind, Tonks, we can help."

"Yeah, we've got just the thing to have Lupin licking your face like a pup."

"Or not like a pup, if that's what you fancy," added Fred with a wink.

"A pup?" came Sirius' curious voice, causing Tonks to jump. He had apparently snuck in, undetected by the rest. "What's this about a pup?"

"Boys!" Molly hissed at her sons. "Don't speak like that! And what sort of _products_ are you referring to?"

"Nothing," they replied in unison.

"Anyway, we should be off," said Fred with an air of importance.

"Yeah," agreed George, "lots of work to do before we head back to school."

"Work?" Molly said disbelievingly. "What sort of work? Certainly not school work..."

"Sorry, mother," said George, "but that information is top secret."

"Good night, all!" Fred added brightly.

With that, the twins hurried out of the room, Molly calling, "If I hear that you've poisoned your sister one more time, there will be _dire_ consequences!" at their retreating backs.  
Molly then let out a great sigh, muttering, "Those boys will be the death of me," as she turned back to her cleaning.

"So, who's this man you want licking your face?" asked Sirius curiously, casting an amused look at Tonks.

"It's nothing, just some rubbish the twins came up with."

"Right," he said with a chuckle. "Come now, Tonks, I could use the entertainment. Plus, I'd be a good Cupid."

"How d'ya figure?" she asked curiously.

"Well, even though I'd have to wear a nappy, I have _stunning_ legs."

"Piss off," said Tonks, unable to hide a smirk at the thought of her cousin in a nappy.

"All right," he said, raising his arms in mock resignation. "But I _will_ find out who this bloke is, Cousin."

"Of course you will," she said with a snort. "You enjoy yourself. I think I'm gonna head out, it's getting late. Thanks for the wonderful dinner, Molly, as always."

"Of course, dear, anytime! Thank _you_ for your help cleaning up."

Tonks smirked. "You're only saying that because I didn't break anything this time."

Molly laughed, but didn't deny Tonks' statement. Instead, she added in a conspiring whisper, "And you know, if you ever need to talk..."

"Thanks Molly," she replied just as Sirius asked, "Talk about what?"

"Piss off, Sirius," she repeated, before smacking him lightly on the back of the head.

"Good night, Arthur, Sirius," she called.

As she headed out of the kitchen, Sirius yelled, "Is it Moony then?"

"No!" she answered, far too quickly.

"A-ha! I was right. Yes, this will _definitely_ be interesting..."

She ignored him, though as soon as she was out of sight, cringed. She was still sorting out her feelings for the man, and certainly wasn't ready for people to play matchmaker. Did everyone know she fancied Remus?

Did _he_?

She felt her cheeks flush at the thought. Merlin, she hoped not.

_TBC...  
_

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**A/N: **_You know, Sirius wasn't supposed to show up in this chapter, but he kind of popped up on his own accord... the sneaky bastard! This fic - and especially this chapter - is heavy on dialogue. Sorry if that's annoying, but they're not supposed to be long, in-depth chapters. Anyway, next up will be Snape! Please leave a review, thanks!  
_


	5. Severus Snape

**Conversations About A Werewolf**  
_5. Severus Snape_

"Fizzing Whizbee," muttered Tonks, watching as the gargoyle leapt aside, allowing her access to the winding staircase that led to Dumbledore's office. She glanced around her briefly, making sure that neither Umbridge nor any of her spies were watching, before making her way to the Headmaster's office and knocking.

"Come in. Ah, hello, Nyphadora, welcome. You weren't spotted, I take it? Good, good. No, keep the morph," he said, just as she was beginning to allow her features – disguised as an old lady - to fade back to her usual youthful, pink-haired self. "You never know who might just choose to _show up_ at the most inopportune of times, these days."

"Yes, of course, sir."

"Remus is not with you then?"

"No, we felt it would be best to come separately – less likely to arouse suspicion."

"Yes, of course. Well then, can I get you a cup of tea while we wait?"

"Sure, erm, thank you."

She watched in silence as the Headmaster poured a cup and handed it to her, gesturing with his hand to the tray on a side table with sugar, cream, and lemon slices. She went over and hastily prepared her tea, trying desperately not to spill. It was awkward being inside this office – in fact, she'd never been up there in all her time at Hogwarts. Being there now made her feel young and vulnerable, somehow.

A sharp knock led way to the door opening. Tonks looked over quickly, anxious of who might be standing in front of them. However, her heartbeat returned to normal as Snape's dark form appeared. She frowned at the thought that she felt relieved to see _Snape_, of all people. Her life had taken a strange turn indeed.

"Headmaster," said Snape as greeting, before his eyes fell on Tonks. His lips twitched slightly, but he said nothing to her.

"Good evening, Severus. Please, have a seat," he said, gesturing toward three chairs he'd conjured up in front of his desk. "You too, Nymphadora."

She sat down quickly, almost spilling her tea in the process. Snape, on the other hand, took his time in approaching his chair before uncomfortably perching himself on the very edge, as if ready to flee at any moment. Dumbledore looked toward a clock on the far wall of his office, one with strange inscriptions on it that Tonks did not understand, and sighed.

"It appears Remus is late. How strange," said Dumbledore with a slight frown. "That is most unlike Remus. I suppose I should check on him, just to be sure he was not spotted by the wrong people. If you will excuse me, Nymphadora, I daresay Severus will keep you entertained in my absence."

And with surprising speed for a wizard his age, Dumbledore left the office. Tonks took a large gulp of her tea, and coughed as it burned her throat. Snape fixed his black eyes on her appraisingly as she struggled to breathe. She shifted, feeling highly uncomfortable under his unwavering gaze, but held his eyes nevertheless.

"Of course, Lupin is _late_," he said with a sneer. "What a surprise."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, only half-listening. Snape was openly hateful toward Remus and Sirius, so his snide comment was not at all surprising to her.

"Well, he is not the most reliable of... _creatures_, is he?"

"Creatures?" chuckled Tonks. "I think you've inhaled too many potions fumes there, _Snivellus_."

"Ah, so you've learned my _nickname_. Very good, Nymphadora."

"You deserve it! How could you say those things?"

"I take it from your fierce protection of the werewolf that you have never witnessed a transformation?"

"So what if I haven't?"

"It is quite different thinking of the _man_ than seeing the _beast_ firsthand. He may be loyal to you by daylight, Nymphadora, but it will do you well to remember that he would just as readily rip out your heart as he would a Death Eater's under the watchful eye of the moon."

"That isn't his fault."

"Perhaps not. But he is a dark creature. I know, I've seen the beast."

"Have you?" snorted Tonks in disbelief. "Are you sure that wasn't just your greasy hair in your eyes?"

"It almost _killed_ me."

The mocking smile slipped off her face immediately at those words. She searched Snape's hate-filled face for some sort of sign of lying, but was dismayed to find only angry sincerity staring back at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, but your little _friends_ haven't shared this cherished childhood memory with you? How strange," he said with a smirk.

"Snape," she said warningly, "you'd better tell me or –"

"Or what? You may be an Auror, but there is still much that you could stand to learn."

"Like what?"

"For instance, things are rarely as they seem. Those who you believe to be close may very well be deceiving you."

"Remus is not deceiving me," she answered hotly.

"_Lupin_ and his friends tried to lure me to my death when we were teenagers, are you aware of that? No, I didn't think so," he said at her incredulous look, a hint of triumph now present in his voice. "He would have murdered me, too, had it not been for James' _brilliant_ realization at the very last minute that my death would lead to a very horrible fate indeed for him and his friends."

"It was just a childhood prank," said Tonks through gritted teeth. "Remus would never hurt you if he had the presence of mind."

"If that's what you'd like to believe..."

"It's not what I'd _like_ to believe, Snape. It's the _truth_."

"Of course you would say that," he said with a sinister smile. "You know, Nymphadora, sharing a bed with a werewolf will make you the same as him."

"Sharing a bed?" she repeated disbelievingly, her temper rising with each passing moment. She raised her wand and pointed it at him. "Don't... ever... talk... about Remus... like that... again!"

At that moment, she heard a throat clearing. Tonks looked over briefly and her heart sank when she noticed Dumbledore and Remus taking in the scene. Remus' eyes were fixed on Tonks' wand which was pointing at Snape's chest, while her own chest heaved with fury. After a moment, she slowly lowered her wand, but her eyes continued to flash dangerously in Snape's direction.

"Is everything all right?" asked Dumbledore conversationally.

"Yes, of course, sir. Sorry," Tonks muttered, falling back into her seat.

"Good, good. Anyhow, we must be quick. I convinced Dolores Umbridge that Remus was within his rights to be here, but I doubt she will give us much time alone before coming here herself. As you are aware, I needed a word with you three in particular, but it is far too risky these days for me to leave Hogwarts for extended periods of time. However..."

Dumbledore continued to speak, and Tonks listened closely, but looked down at her lap as she did so. She could not bear the thought of meeting anyone's eyes – especially Remus'. Just how much of that conversation had he overheard?

After the meeting was over, Remus and Tonks made their way carefully through the castle, and were fortunate enough to escape, undetected. However, she continued to avoid meeting his gaze, ashamed of the scene Remus had witnessed. Even if he hadn't heard what she and Snape were discussing – which was highly unlikely in itself – he had seen her lose control, something that she hardly ever did. She took pride in her ability to control her emotions; it was embarrassing.

Once they arrived in Hogsmeade, Remus placed a warm hand on her forearm to stop her from walking. Slowly, she looked toward him, focusing on his mouth instead of his eyes, which she knew without even looking were filled with concern.

"What happened in there, Tonks? It's hardly like you to let Snape get to you like that."

She sighed. "He said some things that... well, didn't sit right with me."

"Like what?"

She shrugged.

"Tonks..."

"He was talking about you, all right?"

As soon as the words slipped out, she wished she hadn't said them. Remus' frown deepened, and she felt exposed beneath his calculating stare.

"Snape and I... we had – well, we _have_ our differences. He did not like me, nor my friends, when we attended Hogwarts together."

"I gathered as much," she said flatly.

"So he told you about the incident then?"

"Yes."

This time, it was Remus who did not quite meet _her_ gaze. "Sirius thought it would be a laugh to have Snape catch a glimpse of me transformed. I didn't know..." He ran a hand through his greying hair wearily. "I came very close to biting him. I am more ashamed of that night than I could ever express."

"I know, Remus," said Tonks kindly, linking arms with him. "It was a dirty trick on Sirius' part, you couldn't be held accountable. It wasn't _you_, it was the werewolf."

"But that's the thing, Tonks, don't you see?" he asked in a harsh whisper. "I _am_ the werewolf."

"Only during the full moon!"

"Even so. Snape was right, Tonks. Being with me would only taint you."

"You heard that?" she asked sharply, acute embarrassment overwhelming her.

"It is neither here nor there..."

"No," said Tonks. "Snape's a wanker! I wouldn't _care_ about that, don't you see?"

He paused, reaching a hand out to push a stand of her morphed grey hair away from her deceitfully-aged face. "But I _would_."

And before she could say anything else, he Disapparated, the crack reverberating through the silent night air. Tonks sighed. It shouldn't matter that Remus had basically just told her they had no chance at a relationship.

Nevertheless, the idea that they might never happen left her feeling strangely hollow.

_TBC...  
_

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**A/N: **_Sorry if anyone was expecting a nice Snape, but, well, something tells me he would be a less than fanatical R/T shipper, ya know? Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, guys! I've been having tons of fun writing this series, and I can only hope ya'll are having half as much fun reading it! Next chapter will feature Sirius, hats off to sea-ess-eye for predicting that one! _


	6. Sirius Black

**Conversations About A Werewolf**  
_6. Sirius Black_

For the next few days, Tonks couldn't stop thinking about her last encounter with Remus. She wanted to discuss with him in more detail what Snape had revealed, and yet, she couldn't think of any way to broach the topic. Remus had made it quite clear that he was not interested in discussing it further, and she resisted in fear of pushing him away. It had been difficult to become as close as she had gotten with Remus, and she didn't want to risk that now. Unlike her, he did not wear his emotions on his sleeve. No, he kept them tucked somewhere deep inside of him, hidden like a buried treasure from the world. She wanted more than anything to get just a _taste_ of those precious jewels he was hiding.

So she decided to talk to Sirius.

It was risky, she knew, turning to her cousin for information. Since he was about as close to Remus as one could be, not to mention so keen on entertainment these days, Tonks was fairly certain he couldn't be trusted to keep his mouth shut. She worried, too, that Sirius would deliberately steer her in the wrong direction just for his own twisted entertainment. He was, after all, becoming more and more agitated, locked in this old house, with each passing day.

"Hello there, Tonks," Sirius greeted cordially in Buckbeak's room. "What can I do for you?"

"Wotcher, Sirius. Can we talk?"

"All right." Sirius dropped the bag of rats he was just about to feed Buckbeak onto the floor. "About what?"

"About Remus."

Sirius' eyebrows shot up, and a wicked grin made its way across his features, gracing him with that youthful look she'd only seen in old photos. "About bloody time!"

"Yeah..." Tonks agreed cautiously, trying not to blush at the implications of Sirius' comment. "Well, the other day, Snape told me about that time he saw Remus as a werewolf when you lot were at Hogwarts."

"Oh, yeah," said Sirius, his smile fading. "Not my shining moment, I'm afraid."

"No," she replied frankly. "But Remus, he –"

"Never quite got over that, unfortunately."

"Why not? It's not like he bit Snape."

"No, but he was so used to making his transformations either alone or just with us Animagi. I think it was the closest he'd ever gotten to biting someone and it really shook him – well, until a few years ago when we found Peter and, well, you know _that_ lovely story."

"Yeah... Well, that got to him, too, didn't it? He refuses to transform here."

"You sure know a lot about Remus."

"Molly told me," she replied defensively.

"Right."

Tonks paused then, watching Buckbeak as he greedily ate all the rats out of Sirius' abandoned sack instead of meeting his eyes. "Well, I think he also overheard a nasty comment that Snape made about... well, us."

"What comment?"

"About me sharing a bed with... a werewolf."

Sirius didn't react for a moment, so Tonks chanced looking up at him. To her horror, he was smiling more broadly than before, and even began to laugh. In fact, he laughed so hard that he fell over onto Buckbeak's clawed feet. The Hippogriff made a noise of contempt and walked away from his master, who was all but rolling around on the ground with tears streaming down his face.

"It's not that funny!" she replied, struggling to keep her own laughter at bay. It was a little funny, she had to admit, plus it was good to see Sirius so happy. Though she would never admit _that_ to him.

"But... it... is," he gasped, grabbing a stitch in his side.

"You try listening to _Snape_ talk about your sex life and we'll see if you're still laughing!"

"Yeah, that's a bit scarring," Sirius admitted, sobering up a bit. "But that's not why I'm laughing."

"Then why _are_ you laughing?"

"Because this is _Moony_ we're talking about," he said, sitting up, still breathing hard and red-faced.

"So?"

"Well," he said in a tone that indicated he thought this was quite obvious, "Remus wouldn't share a bed with you, Tonks."

"And why not?" she asked, unable to hide her outrage.

Sirius paused to take in the mix of anger and hurt in her dark eyes, and the smile began to creep onto his face again. "Does that _bother_ you?"

"Well, you basically just told me I'm not desirable, so yeah, just a bit," she said in what she hoped was a cold tone.

However, Sirius merely let out another bark of laugher, and Tonks glared at him. He was certainly being about as supportive as a rusty can of beans. No, he was worse than that. At least you could eat the beans.

"That's not what I meant. He likes you too much to shag you, that's all."

"That makes sense," she snorted.

"Look, Moony doesn't _date_ women. I mean, I suppose he gets his frustrations out somehow, if you know what I mean, but he doesn't start serious relationships. And no offense, Tonks, but you would be way beyond the boundaries of a _casual relationship_, wouldn't you?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Because Remus cares too much for you to risk hurting you! Look, when we were in our sixth year, Moony was completely smitten with this seventh year Ravenclaw, Marla Jones. But it turned out that she liked him, too, and when she asked him out, he turned her down! The very next day, we caught him snogging in a cupboard on the third floor with Amelia Johnson, a fifth year that he probably hardly even knew existed before that day!"

"Well, that's a lovely little tale, really, Sirius, but what does that have to do with - ?"

"It means Remus would be too afraid to start anything with you because then it would become _serious_, which would mean that he would be a danger to you! Merlin, for an Auror, you're really thick, you know that?"

"Shut it," she growled. "I don't care about any of that stuff!"

"Well, what are you doing arguing with me about it? Go tell him that!"

"I did! But he won't _listen to me_!"

"Yeah," Sirius said thoughtfully, "he's always been a bit stubborn, hasn't he?"

"You're his best mate, tell me what I should do!"

"I don't know... this is quite a predicament you're in, isn't it?"

"Bugger all! You're no help."

"Sorry! Just go tell him you fancy a shag, what man could resist that? Although it _is_ Moony..." Sirius mused.

"Sirius!"

"Fine, fine." He paused, the corners of his lips twitching. "_I'll_ go tell him then."

_No!_ Tonks was on her feet, pointing her wand at his chest before he even had a chance to move. "Don't you dare, Sirius. Tell him anything," she said through gritted teeth, "and the Ministry finding you will be the very _least_ of your worries."

"All right, all right," Sirius replied, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I won't tell him anything."

"Good," she said, pulling her wand away from him and heading toward the door. She paused and turned to face her cousin again, biting her lip. "It's not that I want to shag him. I just... don't want him to feel like he can't talk to me, that's all."

"Of course."

"Say another word about this, and you're a dead man, Black."

"Of course, not another word, Auror Tonks."

Just as she opened the door, however, she heard Sirius mutter, "Shame, though... seems like you could use a good shag."

"Shut up, you sodding git!" she screamed, slamming the door on her cousin's cackles as they echoed through the corridor.

Tonks cursed inwardly. Keeping Sirius quiet was _not_ going to be easy.

_TBC...  
_

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**A/N: **_I absolutely adore writing Sirius, and I hope that came across in this chapter. Thanks for all the encouraging reviews... feel free to keep it up, folks! Next up will be Mundungus Fletcher! __  
_


	7. Mundungus Fletcher

**Conversations About A Werewolf**  
_7. Mundungus Fletcher_

"Bugger!" yelled Tonks as she knocked over her cup of tea, sending an amber wave of liquid cascading to the stone floor.

She slid off her chair and knelt on the floor, muttered a cleaning charm, and then mopped up the remnants of tea that her sloppy spell left behind. She then got to her feet slowly, wincing as her head collided with the side of the table. When she straightened, she was surprised to find that she had been left alone with Mundungus Fletcher, who was smoking his pipe and most definitely leering at her bottom.

Tonks felt her cheeks flush at this revelation. Out of all the people she wanted ogling her bum, Mundungus was _not_ one of them.

"Can I help you, Mundungus?" she asked icily.

"Ah, 'ello there," he said, not looking at all ashamed of being caught. "'Ow's it going?"

"Fine, thanks," she answered curtly before turning away to wash out her teacup.

"This house ain't exactly a palace, is it?" She didn't respond. "Always so depressing in 'ere, ain't it?"

"You know, we don't _have_ to talk."

"You don't like me much, do ya?" he asked, smoke from his pipe obscuring his face.

"How ever did you figure that one out?" she asked sarcastically.

"Ah, but I'm used to it, ain't I? The lasses don't exactly chase after me, you know."

"How surprising."

"We should get outta here, what d'ya think, Tonksie? Get us some drinks at The Leaky Cauldron. I'd have to be incognito – y'know, been banned from there for ages – but it could be a good time all the same," he finished, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Are you _joking_? I wouldn't go out with you if it was between you and the Bloody Baron!"

"Well now, that was a bit harsh, love..."

"Dung, I'm an Auror and you're a criminal. I've chased you _eight_ times in the past year!"

"So you've been counting?" He grinned. "Ya know, if you wanted me, you could've just asked."

"You sent a swarm of bees at me last time!"

"Oi, that was you?!"

Tonks sighed. "This conversation is over."

As she headed for the door, however, Mundungus spoke again. "Of course, I knew you wouldn't go out with a bloke like me, no. You have those pretty 'lil eyes of yours on that filthy werewolf, don't ya? Tell me, did 'e bite you yet?"

She knew she should just ignore him – take the high road and walk away - it was, after all, what Remus would do. But that was just it, wasn't it? It was what Remus would do, _not_ her. She couldn't drop it. Her already bitter feelings toward the thief coupled with his words against Remus really tried her patience. As if on their own accord, her fingers curled dangerously around her wand as she turned back to glare at him.

"Say that again," Tonks threatened through gritted teeth.

"Well, it's just ya won't go out with me 'cos I'm a criminal, right? But 'e's a bloody werewolf! That's gotta top criminal on the Ministry list, no?"

"I wouldn't go out with you even if you were a sodding priest, _Dung_."

He gave her another lecherous grin. "Well, I ain't no priest... though that Lupin, I suppose 'e pretends 'e is, don't 'e?"

"What are you going off about?"

"Well, it's just, 'e acts all polite and all, but who's 'e kidding, eh? Just another dark creature who ain't fit to be in the company of us good wizard folk."

"_Us good wizard folk_?" Tonks questioned, disgusted. "You might have the right blood, but that's all you've got going for you! Remus is ten _thousand_ times the wizard you'll ever be!"

"Maybe so, maybe so," said Mundungus in what he seemed to think was a calming voice. "I just don't get why Dumbledore trusts 'im, that's all."

"Funny, I've been wondering the same thing about Dumbledore trusting _you_," she spat.

"All right there, love, don't get your knickers in a twist, 'e's a good lad, all right? Just don't come crying to me when 'e bites ya, that's all."

"You are... really stupid," Tonks said through gritted teeth, pointing her wand at Mundungus with a shaky hand. "Another word from you and I'll hex your balls off!"

Mundungus' eyes widened and he began to back away from Tonks slowly, his hands drifting down to protect his crotch. However, before she had a chance to revel in his fear, the door to the kitchen opened with a bang. Sirius and Remus entered, Remus looking uncomfortable as Sirius laughed at what she could only imagine was some perverted joke on Sirius' part. They both stopped speaking abruptly at the sight of Tonks' wand and Mundungus' frightened, protective stance.

"Tonks," said Remus evenly, "what's going on?"

She flushed, but didn't lower her wand. Why did he keep having to walk in on her while she threatened people? "Just teaching this ruddy bastard a lesson, that's all."

"Whatever could dear old Mundungus have done to upset you so?" asked Sirius in a mock innocent voice.

"Shut it, Sirius," she growled.

"She's just upset 'cos I said some bad stuff about that boyfriend of 'ers."

"Her boyfriend?" Sirius questioned, confused. "Tonks doesn't have a boyfriend –" He glanced at her – "Do you?"

"Nah, I mean 'im," said Mundungus, pointing his thumb at Remus.

Tonks watched in horror as Remus went pale, while a smile slowly made its way onto Sirius' face.

"Ah, of course. Told you she fancies you, Moony."

"Ugh, you two are such gits," she said, in a would-be casual tone, yet she couldn't help but blanche at the unreadable look on Remus' face. "I was just defending a good friend – something you would have done, too, Sirius."

"No, actually, I wouldn't have." At Tonks' skeptical look, he added, "It's Dung. That bloke's so pissed most of the time that he doesn't know what sort of rubbish comes out of that mouth of his. He isn't worth the trouble."

"'ere, 'ere," agreed Dung with a hiccup.

"Mundungus, get out of here!" demanded Remus.

"Al'ight," he said eyeing Remus warily before hurrying out of the room.

Tonks put her hands on her hips. "That's bollocks, Black."

"It is not."

"If you wouldn't have stood up for your best mate, then clearly you –"

"Stop it," came Remus' firm voice. "You're both right. Sirius, Tonks was just being a loyal friend, defending me. And Tonks, Sirius is right, as well: Mundungus is not worth your distress. And for future reference, Nymphadora, I can deal with these matters myself. I do not need to be defended."

Tonks was shocked at the coldness in Remus' voice. It had never occurred to her _not_ to defend him – and she would have expected him to do the same for her. Remus chastising her for giving into what seemed to be instinct made her feel vulnerable and exposed, almost as if he'd stabbed a dagger into her gut.

"All right," she said cooly, not meeting Remus' eyes. "I know you don't _need_ to be defended. And I'm so very sorry for caring about you, Remus. Next time I'll try not to."

"Wait, Tonks... he didn't mean it, don't go," Sirius pleaded with surprising sincerity, shooting Remus an angry look as he did so.

But she didn't look at her cousin, either. Instead, she stumbled out of the kitchen, fighting to hold back her tears. As she left, she heard a defeated sigh and a thump as a body fell into a chair, but she refused to allow herself the hope that it was Remus', regretting his words toward her.

_TBC...  
_

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**A/N: **_So yeah, as far as difficult characters go, writing Mundungus takes the cake. Seriously. My apologizes for any mistakes in his dialect/character. I tried. Anyway, thanks so much for the reviews on the previous chapter, and feel free to, you know, review again! The next and final chapter will be up shortly, featuring the very werewolf in question himself. _


	8. Remus Lupin

**Conversations About A Werewolf**  
_8. Remus Lupin_

Tonks stomped upstairs with Remus' harsh words echoing in her head, fully intending to leave Grimmauld Place. However, just as she wrenched open the front door, she remembered that there was an Order meeting in a half an hour, and it would be completely ridiculous to leave now.

"Wonderful," she muttered, before turning forcefully on her heel.

She must have turned too violently, however, because, moments later, she lost her balance and found herself in an all-too-familiar position: face-down on the floor.

"Bugger!" came her muffled yell against the carpet.

Getting to her feet roughly, she stomped away again, just barely missing that damned troll-leg umbrealla as she very ungracefully smacked into something dark and somewhat soft that let out a great "Oof."

_Something?_ No, someone, she realized with a hint of dismay as she came face-to-face with the tall form of Remus Lupin. _Damn!_ She couldn't face him yet, so she looked away quickly, making a point of staring at the wall instead of his face.

"What do you want, Lupin?"

"I just wanted to apologize."

"Right," Tonks snorted disbelievingly.

"Tonks..." He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off. "Please look at me."

At his words, she stared even more intently at the dark stain on the wall rather than him, silently cursing the tears that stubbornly stung the corners of her eyes.

"I suppose I deserve this..."

"Yes, you do, but admitting it isn't going to do you any favors."

He sighed. "Tonks, will you at least listen to me for a moment?"

"Fine."

"You need to understand, I'm used to people like Mundungus saying horrible things about me. I know how to ignore it and pretend it never happened. It's almost like... second nature to me.

"Well it shouldn't be," Tonks mumbled.

"Thank you," he said softly. "But people defending me like you did? Tonks, that's foreign to me. I... I didn't know what to think. I mean, it just - it seemed too good to be true, especially coming from you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked hastily, chancing a glance in his direction with a haughty look on her face. But when she looked at him, she was shocked to find such vulnerability behind his amber eyes that she had to resist the urge to go over to him and pull him into an embrace. Still, she allowed her gaze to immediately soften.

"I – you're a lovely woman, Tonks, I've enjoyed your friendship over these past few months immensely. I would hate to find out that you were pitying me. I don't think I would ever be able to move beyond that."

"Oh, Remus," she cried, "you're really daft sometimes, do you know that?!"

"Excuse me?"

"I don't _pity_ you. I care for you." She took a deep breath. "A lot."

"Well, I didn't realize – that is, you were about ready to murder over a few little words..."

"That's just how I am, Remus. I'm not proud of how I acted, but I always defend the people I care about. Always."

"Yes, I suppose I should have realized that. But, at the risk of seeming _daft_, as you say, I have to ask: for the past month, it seems that _every_ member of the Order has been telling me how you keep asking questions about me. I just assumed – well..." Tonks blushed and averted her eyes at that, and he continued in a pained voice. "Tonks, if you're really dying to know more about the wolf, you can just ask me."

"I wasn't asking about the wolf."

"But –"

She took a tentative step forward and looked directly into his eyes. "I was asking about _the man_ – about you, Remus Lupin."

He looked unconvinced. "Then why didn't you just ask _me_?"

"Well, it's just - it's really hard to talk to the man you fancy about that stuff, isn't it?" she said hurriedly, looking down at her feet.

"Err, what?"

"I fancy you, Remus," she said in a small voice. "Is that okay?"

She couldn't stand to look him in the eye now, so she watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed instead. "Of – of course that's okay. They were all saying that, but I didn't believe it could be true..." he muttered more to himself than to her it seemed.

"Well, it's true," she said, anxiously watching him for any reaction other than astonishment. "But if you don't feel that way, it's okay. I mean, I want us to still be friends even if –"

He cut her off with a kiss.

She stumbled backward at the surprising intrusion, and his arms immediately wrapped around her to keep her from falling. It took her only another moment to register what was going on before she responded eagerly. Lately, she had conceded to allowing herself to dream about this moment - about kissing Remus Lupin - but that was the thing... it had only been a dream then. The reality was so much better than she'd ever dreamt, and she couldn't help the small moan that escaped her at the thought. He moved almost desperately against her then, hands cradling her head, bringing her impossibly close...

"Sweet Merlin," gasped a feminine voice.

The front door had opened before either had a chance to register it, and the couple pulled away a moment too late. Two pairs of eyes widened at the sight of a shocked Molly and grinning Arthur standing in the doorway.

"Oh, no, dears, we're just passing through, don't let us interrupt!" squealed Molly, seeming to gain her composure much faster than either Remus or Tonks. As she and her husband headed downstairs toward the kitchen, they heard her distant voice exclaim, "How lovely! Remus and Tonks finally getting their act together..."

"What's that?" came Sirius' voice eagerly. "They're finally going at it then? About bloody time!"

They were both forced back into reality at Sirius' comment. Tonks winced as Remus ran a hand through his hair.

"Why don't we go... upstairs," mumbled Remus, gesturing vaguely toward the darkened staircase.

"Good idea," she replied eagerly, and followed him up the stairs and into the study on the second floor.

Remus was silent then, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Tonks bit her lip and studied him anxiously, unsure of whether or not she should break the silence. Should she talk? Kiss him again? Her heart sped up at the thought of the latter... However, just as she took a tentative step toward him, he spoke.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kissed you."

That certainly hadn't been what she was expecting to hear. "What?"

"Look, Dora, while I'm flattered – really, you have _no_ idea – we've been over this before. We can't be in a relationship."

"Why not?"

"Because, well, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a werewolf."

"You don't say," mused Tonks. "So _that's_ where you go once a month..."

"Tonks..."

"_Obviously_ I know you're a werewolf, Remus! And obviously I don't care either!"

"But –"

"Look, why don't you make up for being a git earlier and trust me on this one, okay?"

He sighed. "Well, now it's all fine of course, but what about when I can't afford to buy you dinner and – and people will start to _talk_, Tonks!"

She put her arms around him. "I can buy my own dinner. And let people talk, I don't care! Look, we can discuss this later, okay? I've been trying to get to know you better for _ages_, you know, so why don't you let me do that right now, okay?"

"What about –"

"Remus?" she interrupted, pulling him closer.

"Yes?"

"Will you shut up?"

"Excuse me?"

"It's just, I'm so _sick_ of talking."

And then, without giving him the chance to say anything more, she kissed him again.

_Fin  
_

* * *

**A/N: **_Yes, it's really the end. I know, I know, there are still so many characters I could do - like the Giant Squid or Voldemort, for instance - but, I won't. I mean, the former would probably create a very one-sided conversation, don't you think? And the latter, well, I'm not so sure Tonks would come out of that conversation alive... and folks, I am not touching _that _topic in here with a ten foot pole. Honestly, this was just a little fun project to help me get through the angst of DH and the subsequent DH-era scene-fillers I'm working on (I can't help it, I'm _drawn _to teh!angst). It was never meant to be something big, nor do I have the attention span to turn it into something larger. Maybe one day I will work on a sequel, but for now I'm trying to finish up my current fics and RL is about to get crazy, so I'm going to have to put that idea on hold. However, thank you all for the reviews and support... it's meant the world to me! I truly hope that you all enjoyed this fic - the last chapter in particular - as much as I have. Thanks again! _


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